Yarn tension control device



Feb. 14, 1967 H. STANIER 3,304,027

YARN TENSION CONTROL DEVICE Filed Sept. 8, 1964 INVENTOE 1 /4 /604 Jm/v/ae United States Patent 3,304,027 YARN TENSION CONTROL DEVICE Harold Stanier, Upton House, Upton Bishop, Ross-on-Wye, England Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 394,722 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Sept. 7, 1963, 35,413/ 63 2 Claims. (Cl. 242--150) This invention relates to yarn tension control devices and is concerned with such a device which, although applicable generally, is more particularly intended for controlling the tension of yarn being drawn off over end from bobbins or other packages. The invention is particularly concerned with arrangements embodying disctype tension means comprising discs urged together and between which the yarn passes.

According to the invention a yarn tension control device comprises inlet and outlet guides between which are positioned a plurality of disc-type tensioning means the position of which can be varied to adjust the tension applied to yarn passing through the device and one or more of which is removable so that only the remainder is operative.

The tensioning means are preferably of known form comprising a pillar, which may be of ceramic material, on which lower and upper tensioning discs are placed and between which discs the yarn passes, The discs may be urged together solely by the weight of the upper disc, and the weight of the latter may be changed to provide a different range through which the tension can be varied by adjustment of the position of the tensioning means. Such adjustment varies the path of the yarn through the device, and specifically varies the angle defined by the run of yarn entering each set of discs and the run of yarn emerging from each set of discs which angle is hereinafter referred to as the deviation of the yarn through the device. I

Preferably the tensioning means are mounted on a common baseplate which also supports inlet and outlet guides, and in a preferred construction three sets of disc tensioning means are provided with each set being removable if desired. The range of adjustment of each set is preferably such that the angle of deviation between yarn entering and leaving each set can be in the region of 140 which has been found to be generally desirable and provide optimum operating conditions; that is, the yarn contacts the pillar along a line of contact that subtends an angle of about 40 about the axis of the pillar, it being of course recognize-d that 40 is the supplement of 140.

In one specific embodiment, which will be described in detail hereinafter, three sets of tensioning means are provided with ceramic pillars mounted on stems each having a lower threaded portion which passes through an adjusting slot in the baseplate below which it is engaged by a spring nut. The stem is slotted so that it can be engaged by a screwdriver or the like to free the nut for the purposes of adjustment. All three sets of means are removable so that one, two or three sets can be used according to the degree of tensioning desired and the adjustability is such that for any one of these arrangements the angle of deviation for each set can be in the region of 140. To this end the adjusting slots for the tensioning means respectively adjacent the inlet and outlet guides are of V shape and the intermediate adjusting slot is of Y shape.

A ballooning disc of frusto-conical form is conveniently mounted on the baseplate at the inlet guide and if it is desired to use the device with electrical control gear operating a stop motion or warning device in the event of yarn breakage a suitable switch responsive to such breakage may be incorporated in the device. This is conveniently fitted immediately adjacent the outlet guide and may comprise a counterbalanced lever formed in one limb with an eye movable transversely between two fixed eyelets which may be the outlet guide and an eyelet aligned therewith. In use the yarn passes through the aligned eyelets and the eye of the lever. and restrains the latter against counterbalance force. In the event of yarn breakage the lever turns to close two electrical contacts, which may be provided by one end of the lever and a1 cooperating insulated contact mounted on the basep ate.

Said specific embodiment will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the embodiment with part of the cover broken away, and

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of FIGURE 1 with the cover open and some parts removed. A baseplate 1 of elongated shape has a semicircular inlet end 2 with a turned up mounting lug 3 in which is fitted a ceramic eyelet 4 providing an inlet guide the axis of which is inclined at some 30 to the medial longitudinal axis X--X of the baseplate. The eyelet 4 has a leading end peripheral flange 5 which retains in position on the lug a frustoconical ballooning disc 6.

An electrical stop motion switch generally indicated at 7 is fitted at the outlet end 8 of the baseplate 1, and this comprises a U-section bracket riveted to the baseplate having a base 9 and side walls 10, the latter being disposed laterally of said longitudinal axis. In the respective walls 10 the brackets there are fitted with two aligned ceramic eyelets 11 the rear one of which forms an outlet guide of the device. These two eyelets 11 are aligned in a direction parallel to the said longitudinal axis and on the side thereof remote from the ballooning disc 6. A counterbalance lever 12 is fitted between the side walls 10 and is for-med adjacent one end with an eye 13 fitted with a ceramic bushing 14 which in the free resting position of the lever is disposed above the aligned eyelets 11 but which in use is normally held generally in alignment therewith by the yarn 15 passing through the aligned eyelets and the bushed eye.

Should the yarn 15 break the counterbalance lever 12 takes over and the end of the lever opposite to that formed with the eye 13 provides one electrical contact of the switch 7 and engages one of the rivets (not shown) fixing said bracket to the baseplate. The latter rivet forms the second switch contact and is suitably insulated from the base 9 of the bracket and the baseplate 1. The two contacts can be connected in known manner in an electrical circuit which thus becomes operative in the event of yarn breakage.

Three sets of disc-type tensioning means generally indicated at 16 are adjustably mounted on the baseplate 1 between the inlet and outlet eyelets 4 and 11. Each set 16 is of a form known per se, comprising a ceramic pillar 17 on which are positioned lower and upper dished tensioning discs 18 and 19 respectively between which the yarn 15 passes and which are urged together by the weight of the upper disc 19 which is chosen to provide the desired tensioning effect. The pillar 17 is itself mounted on a bifurcated stem 20, the bifurcation providing a spring action by which the pillar 17 is retained on the stern and also providing a screwdriver slot by which the stem 20 can be turned to loosen or tighten a spring locking nut (not shown) threaded on the lower reduced diameter end of the stem 20 which passes through the baseplate 1. For purposes of adjustment the stem 20 passes through an adjusting slot 21 in the baseplate 1 along which the stem can be moved when the nut is slackened off.

It will be clear from the foregoing description that any desired set of tensioning means 16 can be removed so that Patented Feb. 14, 1967.

only the remainder remain operative. Thus the device can be used with one set, two sets or the full three sets 16 according to the degree of tension required. The adjusting slots 21 are so arranged that no matter which or how many of the sets of tensioning means 16 are in use the yarn deviation while passing through each set can be in the region of 140 which commonly provides the optimum operating conditions. To provide this adjustment the adjusting slots 21 adjacent the inlet and outlet eyelets 4 and 11 are of V form and the intermediate slot is of Y form.

The apex of each V slot 21 is positioned adjacent the longitudinal axis of the baseplate 1, the upright axis of the V slot nearest the inlet eyelet 4 being upwardly inclined towards the eyelet 4 at an angle of about 35 the corresponding axis of the V slot nearest the outlet eyelet 11 is similarly downwardly inclined towards the eyelet 11. The Y slot 21 has the upright axis of the Y disposed laterally of the baseplate 1, theslot being almost entirely positioned on the same side of the longitudinal axis of the baseplate 1 as the eyelet 11 with the top Y limbs mutually inclined at an angle of some 100.

To exclude dust the device is fitted with a moulded transparent synthetic plastic cover 22. The cover 22 is hinged at 23 at one edge to the baseplate 1 so that it can be turned to one side to render the tensioning means 16 accessible for threading the yarn 15 and maintenance purposes. The cover 22 is formed with two slots 24 and 25 which accommodate the inlet and outlet eyelet 4 and 11 respectively,'when the cover is closed.

In use the yarn 15 being drawn off over end from bobbins is threaded through the inlet eyelet 4 and between the discs 18 and 19 of as many sets of tensioning means 16 as are being used. The yarn is taken from the last set of discs 18 and 19 to the inner eyelet 11, through the bushed eyelet 13 of the stop motion switch 7 and finally motion switch engage to complete the electrical circuit which stops the machine in which the device is being used. When the break has been attended to the device is easily rethreaded by lifting the cover 22 to gain access to the inlet and outlet eyelets 4 and 11 and the tensioning means 16.

I claim:

1. In a yarn tension control device, an elongated baseplate with a medial longitudinal axis, a yarn inlet guide mounted at one end of the baseplate to one side of said axis, a yarn outlet guide mounted at the other end of the baseplate to the other side of said axis, said baseplate having three slots therethrough for the reception of disc-type tensioning means so that yarn pass through the tensioning means during passage between said inlet guide and said outlet guide in the general direction of said axis and so that the tensioning means can' be adjustively moved along the slots, one of said slots adjacent the inlet guide lying to said one side of said axis and the other two slots lying to said other side of the axis, said one slot and one of said two slots adjacent the outlet guide being V-shaped each with an apex approximately on said axis, and the remaining intermediate slot being Y-shaped with the free end of the central limb of the Y approximately on said axis.

2. A yarn tension control device according to claim 1, wherein one limb of each V-shaped slot is disposed generally laterally of the baseplate with the other limb directed generally towards the adjacent one of said guide, and said central limb of the Y-shaped slot is also disposed generally laterally of the baseplate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,393,995 2/ 1945 Lambach et al.. 242- 154 2,581,142 1/1952 Rea 242-154 3,062,480 11/1962 Suggs 242l54 FOREIGN PATENTS 892,912 4/ 1962 Great Britain. 1,090,055 10/1954 France.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A YARN TENSION CONTROL DEVICE, AN ELONGATED BASEPLATE WITH A MEDIAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS, A YARN INLET GUIDE MOUNTED AT ONE END OF THE BASEPLATE TO ONE SIDE OF SAID AXIS, A YARN OUTLET GUIDE MOUNTED AT THE OTHER END OF THE BASEPLATE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID AXIS, SAID BASEPLATE HAVING THREE SLOTS THERETHROUGH FOR THE RECEPTION OF DISC-TYPE TENSIONING MEANS SO THAT YARN PASS THROUGH THE TENSIONING MEANS DURING PASSAGE BETWEEN SAID INLET GUIDE AND SAID OUTLET GUIDE IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF SAID AXIS AND SO THAT THE TENSIONING MEANS CAN BE ADJUSTIVELY MOVED ALONG THE SLOTS, ONE OF SAID SLOTS ADJACENT THE INLET GUIDE LYING TO SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID AXIS AND THE OTHER TWO SLOTS LYING TO SAID OTHER SIDE OF THE AXIS, SAID ONE SLOT AND ONE OF SAID TWO SLOTS ADJACENT THE OUTLET GUIDE BEING V-SHAPED EACH WITH AN APEX APPROXIMATELY ON SAID AXIS, AND THE REMAINING INTERMEDIATE SLOT BEING Y-SHAPED WITH THE FREE END OF THE CENTRAL LIMB OF THE Y APPROXIMATELY ON SAID AXIS. 